LEWES — Open to students in fifth grade, this year’s Coast Day essay contest asks them to consider what trends they see in virtual data, such as that collected by aerial photography, satellite or remote sensing. Like many people, scientists have been working from home during the pandemic, and the availability of data gathered in these ways has allowed them to continue making progress on their research.

The essay contest asks students to examine one of three datasets: historical aerial photography of Cape Henlopen, weather and climate data for the region, or sea level rise data on water levels from a NOAA tide and weather station. They then will write about what trends they see, how scientists could use the data, and what actions they could take that might affect the data in the future.

More information about the contest, access to data sets, and instructions for how to enter are available at the Coast Day website: www.deseagrant.org/coast-day-contests.